Not to sound stereotypical but Filipinos tend to be hardworking, reliable employees. In Canada they make great kitchen workers. Then there was Angelo… the boy who cried back pain.
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I was working at my least favourite job in the industry. It was the first or second year, when I still enjoyed it to some degree. While I often clashed with the FOH house I had better relations with the kitchen staff. Being non-white, again I’m being stereotypical, they tended to have a better work ethic and actually showed up on time!
Most of them were Filipino and they were fun, warm, and dedicated. There were three of them and we’d often go drinking together. I’d joke I was their MacArthur and they were my loyal Filipino soldiers. Before you think I’m being obnoxious General MacArthur is seen as a hero in the Philippines and they had a sense of humour.
There was Elias, who was quiet, easygoing, and made subtle jokes. There was James the dishwasher, who always screwed around and mocked me anytime he could. Then there was Angelo… sarcastic, unprofessional, and beyond lazy. We beaked each other constantly and at least three times a week I’d be greeted with “fuck you Andrew,” or “shut the fuck up” when I entered the kitchen. Those who good days.
We’d hang out at the local pool hall and given their tendency to tip poorly we rarely got good service. I didn’t care, I merely ordered two drinks at a time and laughed when the waitress gave them shit. At least they didn’t I.D. the group, given James was only 17 years old. I remember a selfie on Facebook where he’s holding a schooner proudly and our manager asking “why is that minor drinking beer?”
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One afternoon I walked in for my shift, expecting to see Angelo in the kitchen. He was no where to be seen. I checked the schedule to confirm and sure enough he was suppose to be there. When I asked Bob, our skirt-chasing, coke-snorting 45 year old manager where Angelo was, he merely shrugged and went back to texting the five girls he was seeing at the time.
About 20 minutes later Angelo’s father phoned in, saying his son was hungover and in no shape to work. We all got a cheap laugh and promised to mock him the next time he came in. Having resigned ourselves to being a man short in the kitchen we prepared for the supper rush.
But 30 minutes later the phone rang again and Bob answered it. It was Angelo, who didn’t realize his father had called in saying he was… indisposed. This is why open communication is so important for any relationship! Because, Angelo, a relatively fit man in his early 20s, claimed he was suffering from back pain. At one point he said “ow my back.” Bob wouldn’t have it, told Angelo his father had already phoned, and suggested he got his ass into work. Thus, he came in, finished his shift in a less than satisfactory manner, and went home in disgrace.
But unfortunately for Angelo, his actions spawned a legend… “the boy who cried back pain.” For the next two years not a week went by without someone saying “ow my back,” especially if one of us gave a lame excuse to avoid work. My favourite stratagem was listening quietly whenever Angelo insulted me, walking out of the kitchen calmly, and then running back into the room screaming “OW, MY BACK!”
He got me back though! There was a girl I liked at work and when she and another colleague made their relationship official on Facebook, Angelo posted a picture of him giving me the middle finger. At the time I was hurt but liked the post to show I was a good sport. Years later I howl because it was so funny.
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Angelo would eventually be fired, perhaps unsurprisingly due to laziness and missing too many shifts. To this day he remains the only Filipino I worked with who had a shitty work ethic. But stereotypes are meant to be broken.
But the story doesn’t end there. A year later he walked through the front door again to ask for a job. This happens more than you think… someone reapplying at a restaurant after being dishonourably discharged. To be fair, the odds aren’t always bad. Often enough of the management and staff have turned over that a former employee’s bad record is forgotten. Or frankly, the staffing situation can be so bad a restaurant will take anyone they can get, even if they are subpar. It’s the “devil you know” conundrum. At least you’ll know how unreliable, drunk, or high they will be versus an unknown quantity.
Anyway, if Angelo thought the restaurant would be under new management he was gravely mistaken. Because Bob saw him, gave a mischievous smile, and taught him a lesson. Handing Angelo an application form he said “would you like to fill it out or have your dad do it?’ Visibly annoyed, Angelo said nothing and entered the lounge. But then Bob, who was far from done asked him “would you like to sit at the bar or go to a booth that won’t HURT YOUR BACK!”
Apparently Angelo’s sarcastic laughter afterwards echoed across the restaurant.